What to Cook When the Kids Come Home

My youngest daughter and her boyfriend were here last weekend for a short visit. We did the usual stuff, which made me appreciate Tulsa all the more — the Friday Night Art Crawl, Monet exhibit at Philbrook, running at the river, followed by coffee on Cherry Street and a stroll through the Farmers Market.

Since they’re typically not big meat-eaters, and at any given time, may be eschewing meat altogether, I pulled out the vegetarian recipes for the weekend. With all the fresh and inexpensive vegetables available in the summer, it’s easy to cook up something delicious. My daughter requested these veggie enchiladas – they’ve always been a big hit in our family – so I wanted to share the recipe. You can use more of the vegetables you like and less of those you don’t, so feel free to adjust the recipe accordingly.

FARMERS MARKET VEGETABLE ENCHILADAS

• 4 Tablespoons butter (or corn oil)
• approximately 3 cups coarsely chopped vegetables such as zucchini and/or yellow crookneck squash, sliced mushrooms, red/green/yellow bell peppers. I use a mixture of these (and usually more than 3 cups)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 ½ cups whole milk (or lowfat or vegetable broth)
• 2 cups (packed) grated Monterey Jack and/or sharp cheddar cheese.

1. 8-10 8-inch flour or corn tortillas (my family prefers corn). Heat them slightly, so they’ll be easier to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and onion. Saute until vegetable are just tender. Mix in 1 cup corn, canned chilies and ¼ cup cilantro; season with salt and pepper. You could also add chopped fresh or canned jalapeno pepper if you want more heat.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in chili powder, flour and cumin; stir 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk (or broth). Cook until sauce is thick and bubbling, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups cheese; whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread ¼ cup sauce in bottom of 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Mix ¾ cup sauce into filling. Place generous 1/3 cup filling in center of 1 tortilla; roll up and place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce, then sprinkle remaining ½ cup corn and ½ cup cheese on top.
5. Bake until heating through, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.